Ford Motor Company announced new 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol engine. The 1.5-litre engine is a key strategic entry for Ford, as the company works to meet the strong global demand for its four-cylinder EcoBoost engines. Company now has capacity to build 1.6 million EcoBoost engines annually. By the end of 2013 six plants across Europe, Asia and North America will be producing EcoBoost engines, triple the number that were doing so in 2010.
EcoBoost technologies enable improvements to both fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions of up to 20 per cent. The 1.5-litre engine benefits from signature EcoBoost turbocharging, direct fuel injection and variable valve timing and has been designed to be even more fuel-efficient and offer high levels of engine refinement, quietness and performance.
Additionally, the newest EcoBoost engine will be a strategic entry for Ford in global markets that offer tax relief to consumers who purchase vehicles powered by engines of 1.5-litre capacity or less.
The new aluminium-block, twin-cam 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine will feature some of the innovative features introduced on the award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost, including an integrated exhaust manifold. The new engine is expected to provide similar horsepower and torque performance to Ford’s current 1.6-litre EcoBoost, while delivering improved fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions.
The 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine is the first engine from Ford to incorporate a computer-controlled clutch on the belt-drive water pump, which further improves efficiencies by reducing warm-up time. A water-cooled charge air cooler is added to offer a more efficient feed of air into the engine. By the end of this year, nearly 80 per cent of the company’s global nameplates will be available with fuel-saving EcoBoost technology.